Extra Of The Magus Academy

Silence.

The General Assembly Hall was riddled with silence as a woman walked on stage, carrying with her an aura of grace and power.

She had long, raven black hair along with piercing eyes that seemed to warble with every step she took. As her dark emerald eyes scanned the audience that stood before her—all Apprentice Stage students of the Akashic Magus Academy—she finally came to a halt at the center of the stage that she stood on.

After waiting a few more seconds, the woman finally parted her lips and spoke.

"My name is Beatrice Lampshade, and I will be your new Head Of Student Affairs."

The words she uttered carried a heavy weight among those who listened—both with the students and the staff who were present.

It had only been a few months since the untimely demise of the previous Head Of Student Affairs, Gerald Lockwood, and now he was being replaced with this woman.

Most students couldn't remember what Gerald even looked like, since he only appeared once during their Induction into the Academy and never showed his face for any event again; opting instead to send representatives while he remained in his office.

It was yet to be determined if this woman would follow her predecessor's footsteps, but she certainly left a more lasting impression than him.

Despite the intensity of her gaze, there seemed to be a certain care in them.

"I assure you that I will take my duties seriously, and on that note I would like to remind you all of the important event coming up next week." She began, choosing to be curt rather than dwell on the superfluous.

"The Promotional Exams, as you all know, will be held next week, which means both Alpha and Beta Students need to be especially mindful of their performance in this final week's tests and exams, as it can elevate or demote you."

The Promotional Exams happened twice in a year, and it was only through this that the disadvantaged Beta Student could hope to stand on equal footing as the Alpha Class. Due to the growing rift between the two classes, and the rising level of oppression that the Beta Students were beginning to suffer, this was the news they needed more than ever.

Of course, none of the Alpha Students looked happy to see this.

As for the new Head Of Student Affairs, she seemed perfectly neutral; not showing a bias for either Alpha or Beta Class.

"The best students will excel and the less desirable will be left behind… that is simply the nature of the Desgarron Empire." She stepped away. "If you don't want to get left behind, then do your best."

Once she finished, Beatrice Lampshade walked away from the stage, leaving behind a strange feeling of tension amongst students.

Those few minutes she spent addressing the students had stayed with them.

**********

'What an interesting woman… Beatrice Lampshade.'

Ash smiled as he slowly followed the lead of his fellow students and walked away from the hall.

After the lady's announcement, the General Assembly was disbanded and the students were set to attend their respective classes. As such, everyone was on their way to their classrooms, with Ash being no exception.

A smile was plastered on his pale face as he kept both hands in his pockets. His ashen white hair danced in the air as his crimson eyes glistened with amusement.

Whoever this woman was, she clearly held some kind of significance to him.

**********

Lectures in the Alpha Class remained practically the same for the day.

Ash remained lowkey, opting to remain a silent member of the class who maintained his backbencher status. The most interesting occurrence in the classroom was Arius trying very hard—but ultimately failing—to compete with Seth.

'As always, Seth remains the star of Alpha Class…' Ash nodded to himself in satisfaction.

The absence of Elma was a glaring subtraction from the classroom, but a few months without her had caused many to get used to it.

Everyone except Ash himself.

Once classes ended, Ash met up with Dustan—per their pre-established arrangement—and they began to walk together while discussing.

"It's almost time… the Promotional Exams." Dustan appeared slightly nervous as he spoke about the inevitable future that everyone was marching to.

His slim and lanky appearance, coupled with his rough auburn hair, and the tired dark circles that formed beneath his eyes, added flavor to his nervousness. His moist green eyes seemed hesitant about the future as he spoke, and they sought some measure of security once he rested his gaze on Ash.

"Yup!" Rather than be careful with his words, Ash spoke nonchalantly. "Things will be very difficult this time around too… especially with how so many talented Alpha Students have been intentionally lowering their performances lately so they can partake in the Promotional Exams."

"Haa… I feared that would be the case."

Indeed! The best way for Alpha Students to ensure none of the Beta Students ever had a chance at reaching their prestigious class was to fake a poor performance in order to qualify for the Promotional Exams, only to act as gatekeepers during the event.

It was a foolproof method that had been working for Alpha Class for years now, and the Noble students were especially more motivated than ever to ensure no Beta Class Commoner made it to their ranks.

After all, the last one who did ended up being a mass murderer.

"There's no need to be nervous, though." Ash smiled, placing a hand on Dustan's shoulder. "You just need to remember your—"

"Oh? Look who it is… if it isn't Ashfelt Zephyr."

A sudden voice echoed in the air, forcing Ash and Dustan to pause their conversation, slow down their walk, and turn in the direction of the incoming footsteps nearing them.

They belonged to none other than Arius Inkwell and two other Nobles who walked slightly behind him—his posse, no doubt.

"I expect no less from the shame of the Zephyr Family… hanging out with a lowlife commoner. I guess it's because no Noble around wants to be your friend." Arius chuckled as he walked closer.

Naturally, the boys in his posse laughed with him.

Since they were affiliated with a member of the Four Noble Households, they were guaranteed protection even if they partook in the mockery of another member of the Four. As long as they laughed to Arius' comments, in his presence, they were safe from the wrath of the Zephyr Household.

And yes… the two boys used this privilege to the utmost.

"What do you want, Arius?" Ash sighed as he looked at the bespectacled boy. "Did you get tired of trying to get my brother's attention that you decided to settle for me? I gotta say, man… that's some new low you've fallen to…"

"Tch! You've got a smart tongue, huh?"

Arius, with his dark blue hair packed together to form a long ponytail, and a slightly oversized uniform that made his small physique seem considerably larger, moved forward with contempt written all over his face.

"Want to know what I think? Seeing you with all of these commoners just proves how you must be complicit in their affairs!" He yelled. "You were close with Elma, who ended up being the culprit behind the death of Lord Gerald and so many innocent guards. You also had interactions with Britta after dropping out, right? I heard she was your attending maid when you stayed in the Staff Quarters…"

The insinuations being made were far from subtle, and Arius decided to spell them out even more with the next words that flowed from his lips.

"Didn't they say it's likely Elma had a collaborator? And what of the White Death? Isn't it likely she had a Traitor Noble assisting her? Feeding her intel about his fellow Nobles… like where they would be and what they would be doing."

"What exactly are you implying, Arius?" At this point, Ash stepped forward as well.

"You know what I'm implying, Asphalt…" He did not back down. "Maybe, just maybe, you were involved in all of those murders. And who knows, you could be planning something… something awful with Dustan next."

"Hmm…" Ash smiled as he heard those words.

A part of him wanted to bring up the fact that this very Dustan had tried but failed to woo Elma before her conviction as a killer, and that he—Ashfelt Zephyr—was attacked and nearly killed by the White Death.

However, he figured such words would do no good with someone like Arius.

Instead, he chose to make a rueful smile and step even closer to the mucky depths that Arius was dragging him into.

"Hehe! You got me, Arius… I am planning something awful with my friend Dustan here." Ash's eyes leaked bloodlust as he grinned evilly at Arius.

"And you know what? You're my first target… so prepare yourself."

"W-what?" Arius began to tremble under Ash's intense stare, slowly taking steps back. "What kind of a sicko are you?"

It didn't take long before Arius gathered his boys, who had long stopped thinking the confrontation was funny, and they all walked off.

"Pfft! Spineless idiots…"

Ash laughed, almost aloud, as he watched the trio hurriedly walk off.

"I don't think it's a good idea to anger someone like Arius, Ash." Dustan sighed, mumbling barely audibly. "You know the kind of person he is, don't you? The kind of person he'll become…"

"Meh! That doesn't really matter" Ash shrugged nonchalantly. "Come on, let's go."

Dustan sighed once again and followed Ash closely beside him as the two of them walked off to the Training Hall for their daily ritual.

Unknown to them, however, a certain silhouette—one that had been still for the entire time—slowly began to move as soon as the two of them walked off.

Within seconds, the shadow rose and took on a humanoid form.

Then, features began to appear—like hands, ears, and eyes.

Then, it parted its lips and spoke.

"Ashfelt Zephyr… narcissistic and sadistic to his enemies while incredibly negligent and irresponsible with his friends." The deep dark tone echoed as it faded off into the silence.

"How interesting…"

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[Welcome To Arc 2: The Academy Exchange Incident]

I promise you… this Arc has way more action and twists than the first Arc, and it will also be considerably longer.

You're definitely in for a good time.